Interview with Phillis Wheatley
MC 7
1.)Being that you were a slave, what made you interested in the arts?
Well luckily my owners, John and Susanna ,raised me as one of their own children. They taught me to read and write. I believe that once I got started, I could not stop. At the age of 12, my first poem was published called "On Messrs. Hussey And Coffin."
At the time, I had been reading things such as the Bible. I was also reading the Greek and Latin classics. I was told that I was talented. That is what made me love to write.
2.)What role did mentors play in developing your talents as a writer?
Actually, the countess of Huntingdon, Selina Hastings greatly encouraged me. She had been a friend of mine. She helped to publish my first book of poems.It was greatly appreciated by me. The support made me continue to write.
Also, there was Obour Tanner. He had made the trip through the middle passage with me. He supported everything that I did in my craft. John and Susanna also supported me. That helped because without them, I would have never been able to learn to read and write.
3.)What was the writing world like when you entered it?
It was very common for Americans to be published. For an African American to be published was a crazy idea. Especially for a woman. The reason that it was so uncommon was because African Americans were rarely educated enough to read and write. Slave children especially.
My style of poetry was something that was also uncommon. My style was the elegiac poetry style. It mostly focused upon moral and religious subjects.
'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a diabolic die."
Remember, Christians, Negro's, black as Cain,
May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.'
(On Being Brought from Africa To America,Phillis Wheatley)
4.)How did the major economic,political, and cultural situations of that time impact your work?
At that time, we had slavery. That greatly impacted my work because as I said before, for an African American to be published was a crazy idea. I had to work hard and endure much criticism. At one point, I had to prove my literary ability in court. Many people expected me to just be another dumb negro. I proved them wrong.
Also, I was a woman. That was also unlikely as I said before. Women didn't really have alot of rights. As well as being a slave, being a woman created much criticism.
5.)What were your major accomplishments and methods that you used in your writing?
In 1776, I wrote the book To His Excellency George Washington. In that same year, I performed for General Washington. I was actually freed from slavery in 1773. Sadley, it was both an accomplishment and a tragedy. I was freed because John and Susanna died.
Grim monarch! see, depriv'd of vital breath,
A young physician in the dust of death:
Dost thou go on incessant to destroy,
Our griefs to double, and lay waste our joy?
Enough thou never yet wast known to say,
Though millions die, the vassals of thy sway:
Nor youth, nor science, not the ties of love,
Nor ought on earth thy flinty heart can move.
The friend, the spouse from his dire dart to save,
In vain we ask the sovereign of the grave.
Fair mourner, there see thy lov'd Leonard laid,
And o'er him spread the deep impervious shade.
Clos'd are his eyes, and heavy fetters keep
His senses bound in never-waking sleep,
Till time shall cease, till many a starry world
Shall fall from heav'n, in dire confusion hurl'd
Till nature in her final wreck shall lie,
And her last groan shall rend the azure sky:
Not, not till then his active soul shall claim
His body, a divine immortal frame.
But see the softly-stealing tears apace
Pursue each other down the mourner's face;
But cease thy tears, bid ev'ry sigh depart,
And cast the load of anguish from thine heart:
From the cold shell of his great soul arise,
And look beyond, thou native of the skies;
There fix thy view, where fleeter than the wind
Thy Leonard mounts, and leaves the earth behind.
Thyself prepare to pass the vale of night
To join for ever on the hills of light:
To thine embrace this joyful spirit moves
To thee, the partner of his earthly loves;
He welcomes thee to pleasures more refin'd,
And better suited to th' immortal mind.
(To A Lady On The Death Of Her Husband, Phillis Wheatley)
6.)What were the key opportunities you had that led to a turning point in your life and writing?
In 1770, I wrote a poem about George Whitefield. He was a great Evangelist.
HAIL, happy saint, on thine immortal throne,
Possest of glory, life, and bliss unknown;
We hear no more the music of thy tongue,
Thy wonted auditories cease to throng.
Thy sermons in unequall'd accents flow'd,
And ev'ry bosom with devotion glow'd;
Thou didst in strains of eloquence refin'd
Inflame the heart, and captivate the mind.
Unhappy we the setting sun deplore,
So glorious once, but ah! it shines no more.
Behold the prophet in his tow'ring flight!
He leaves the earth for heav'n's unmeasur'd height,
And worlds unknown receive him from our sight.
There Whitefield wings with rapid course his way,
And sails to Zion through vast seas of day.
Thy pray'rs, great saint, and thine incessant cries
Have pierc'd the bosom of thy native skies.
Thou moon hast seen, and all the stars of light,
How he has wrestled with his God by night.
He pray'd that grace in ev'ry heart might dwell,
He long'd to see America excell;
He charg'd its youth that ev'ry grace divine
Should with full lustre in their conduct shine;
That Saviour, which his soul did first receive,
The greatest gift that ev'n a God can give,
He freely offer'd to the num'rous throng,
That on his lips with list'ning pleasure hung.
"Take him, ye wretched, for your only good,
"Take him ye starving sinners, for your food;
"Ye thirsty, come to this life-giving stream,
"Ye preachers, take him for your joyful theme;
"Take him my dear Americans, he said,
"Be your complaints on his kind bosom laid:
"Take him, ye Africans, he longs for you,
"Impartial Saviour is his title due:
"Wash'd in the fountain of redeeming blood,
"You shall be sons, and kings, and priests to God."
Great Countess,* we Americans revere
Thy name, and mingle in thy grief sincere;
New England deeply feels, the Orphans mourn,
Their more than father will no more return.
But, though arrested by the hand of death,
Whitefield no more exerts his lab'ring breath,
Yet let us view him in th' eternal skies,
Let ev'ry heart to this bright vision rise;
While the tomb safe retains its sacred trust,
Till life divine re-animates his dust.
(On The Death Of Rev. George Whitefield, Phillis Wheatley)
That poem was greatley acclaimed. Many people read it and were suprised at the complexity. That poem in a way made me famous.
7.)What personal choices did you have to make in order to be successful?
The personal choices that I had to make were basically to try. I had to try to read and write in order for me to do it. If you do not try, you will never know. I also did not accept the limits that were set by society. Being an African American woman, most would just sit there and never attempt to do anything in their life but I actually got out there and let my dreams take me places.
Another choice that I had to make was to obey. I had to obey John and Susanna. If I wouldn't have done that, they wouldn't have educated me.
8.)What types of hardships or roadblocks did you have to overcome in order to be a writer?
Again, I bring up the racial limitations. Those racial limitations went to the point where I had to prove myself to the courts.It is absolutley rediculous that I had to prove my literary ability. I was also inspected by a group of Boston luminaries.
At one point, the publishers in Boston refused to publish my material. I had to travel to London with Nathaniel Wheatley, John and Susanna's son, to get my book published. Although I had gone through all of that, I was not disheartened.
9.)What kind of limitations did you run into as both a writer and a person?
The limitations that I had as a writer were of course the racial and sexist limitations set by society. I believe that I have talked about that alot. As a person though, there were many.
After the death of John and Susanna, I married a free black man named John Peters. He ran a grocery store but the economy made it hard to make a living. Even with my writing, we lived in poverty. Our marriage produced three children. Two of them died because of their bad health. That was quite hard for me to deal with.
"THROUGH airy roads he wings his instant flight
To purer regions of celestial light;
Enlarg'd he sees unnumber'd systems roll,
Beneath him sees the universal whole,
Planets on planets run their destin'd round,
And circling wonders fill the vast profound.
Th' ethereal now, and now th' empyreal skies
With growing splendors strike his wond'ring eyes:
The angels view him with delight unknown,
Press his soft hand, and seat him on his throne;
Then smilling thus: "To this divine abode,
"The seat of saints, of seraphs, and of God,
"Thrice welcome thou." The raptur'd babe replies,
"Thanks to my God, who snatch'd me to the skies,
"E'er vice triumphant had possess'd my heart,
"E'er yet the tempter had beguil d my heart,
"E'er yet on sin's base actions I was bent,
"E'er yet I knew temptation's dire intent;
"E'er yet the lash for horrid crimes I felt,
"E'er vanity had led my way to guilt,
"But, soon arriv'd at my celestial goal,
"Full glories rush on my expanding soul."
Joyful he spoke: exulting cherubs round
Clapt their glad wings, the heav'nly vaults resound.
Say, parents, why this unavailing moan?
Why heave your pensive bosoms with the groan?
To Charles, the happy subject of my song,
A brighter world, and nobler strains belong.
Say would you tear him from the realms above
By thoughtless wishes, and prepost'rous love?
Doth his felicity increase your pain?
Or could you welcome to this world again
The heir of bliss? with a superior air
Methinks he answers with a smile severe,
"Thrones and dominions cannot tempt me there."
But still you cry, "Can we the sigh borbear,
"And still and still must we not pour the tear?
"Our only hope, more dear than vital breath,
"Twelve moons revolv'd, becomes the prey of death;
"Delightful infant, nightly visions give
"Thee to our arms, and we with joy receive,
"We fain would clasp the Phantom to our breast,
"The Phantom flies, and leaves the soul unblest."
To yon bright regions let your faith ascend,
Prepare to join your dearest infant friend
In pleasures without measure, without end."
(A Funeral Poem On The Death Of C.E An Infant Of Twelve Months,Phillis Wheatley)
10.) What personal stories illustrate how you became successful as a writer?
"We cannot ascertain that she ever received any formal manumission; but the chains which bound her to her master and mistress were the golden links of love, and the silken bands of gratitude. She had a child's place in their house and in their hearts. Nor did she, notwithstanding their magnanimity in setting aside the prejudices against color and condition, when they found these adventitious circumstances dignified by talents and worth, ever presume on their indulgence either at home or abroad. Whenever she was invited to the houses of individuals of wealth and distinction, (which frequently happened,) she always declined the seat offered her at their board, and, requesting that a side-table might be laid for her, dined modestly apart from the rest of the company.
We consider this conduct both dignified and judicious. A woman of so much mind as Phillis possessed, could not but be aware of the emptiness of many of the artificial distinctions of life. She could not, indeed, have felt so utterly unworthy to sit down among the guests, with those by whom she had been bidden to the banquet. But she must have been painfully conscious of the feelings with which her unfortunate race were regarded; and must have reflected that, in a mixed company, there might be many individuals who would, perhaps, think they honored her too far by dining with her at the same table. Therefore, by respecting even the prejudices of those who courteously waived them in her favor, she very delicately expressed her gratitude; and, following the counsels of those Scriptures to which she was not a stranger, and taking the lowest seat at the feast, she placed herself where she could certainly expect neither to give or receive offence."
(The Memoirs Of Phillis Wheatley,1834)
A personal story would be of a young African American girl who was found at the slave market dirty, unhealthy, and naked that grows up to be something that she had dreamed of. She beat the odds. She overstepped the boundries that most wouldn't dream of overstepping. She ignored limitations. Both racial and sexist limitations.
